


Smile (because you got them exactly where you want them and you know exactly who you are).

by youngjusticewriter



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Book 5: The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson), F/F, Sexism, Trans Female Character, Trans Percy Jackson, Zeus is an asshole, references to Greek mythology
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-07-25
Packaged: 2020-07-19 17:40:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19977949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youngjusticewriter/pseuds/youngjusticewriter
Summary: Helen's smile grew despite the words that had spewed from Zeus’s lips. What an ugly sight her smile and eyes must be. (People often said she should smile. They regretted when she did because there was nothing Helen had to smile for when it came to them.)“I do want that gift you promised though,” Helen’s voice was sweet but her eyes held none of the sweetness. Her smile was too sharp, too full of teeth, to be a warm thing that men wanted directed at them. “Do you promise to grant my wish on the River of Styx?”





	Smile (because you got them exactly where you want them and you know exactly who you are).

“Helen Jackson!” Poseidon yelled, not only talking over Annabeth who had been speaking to her about the plans but also any other noise in the throne room. When Helen winced it wasn’t because of how loud her father’s voice had been when he had called for her or her once again having the eyes of the Olympian gods and goddesses on her. Once upon a time, Helen would have been uncomfortable (even if she never admitted it) at so many people- well, divinities attention on her but Helen wasn’t that girl any longer. 

As Helen made her way before the Olympians the only noise in the room was the crackle of Hestia’s fire. Everyone else’s chatter had died down including even Ares, Apollo, and Aphrodite bugging her girlfriend about the new architectural plans that had to include plenty statues of each one of them like they had been doing less than a minute ago before Helen’s name had been called. 

In the corner of her eye Helen saw her aunt, Hestia, giving her an encouraging smile; the goddess was back in a young girl’s form though it was different one from any of the other times Helen had seen her. There was no reassuring words spoken though as Helen made her way to the center of the room (her tiny, mortal legs still hadn’t made it there) but then again there hadn’t been voiced plans to kill them either. 

When Helen did make it there she first bowed to Zeus before walking to her father’s throne. 

“A great hero must be rewarded. Is there anyone here who would deny that my daughter is deserving of it?” Poseidon asked but by his tone you could tell it really wasn’t a question or, at least, not in his mind. 

There were no words, no refutes, brought to the air about Helen deserving an award or that she was Poseidon’s daughter and the god of the sea was bias. Helen did not spill tears of happiness at being acknowledged by him nor would she have years ago; Caeneus’ words had never been forgotten by her even if she had only been a child when the conversation had taken place. Helen had held onto their conversation with an unyielding grip. It would only be until someone killed her - until someone found that small piece of skin on her back - that she would depart from that conversation and with how the underworld was maybe not even then. 

“Helen Jackson, you have one gift from the gods.” It’s those words, not the ones Zeus had spoken before them, that bring her from head and back to focusing on what was going on in front of her. 

Her voice felt small as she spoke, “Anything?” She asked with a heart that felt like it was going to break free from her ribs with how fast it was beating. 

Zeus responded with a nod, a grim expression was painted his face like he had been forced to shallow a lemon. It, Helen noted, was the same sour expression the god had been wearing when he had thanked his brothers in their efforts during the war. 

“I know what you will ask,” Zeus boasted. “The greatest gift of all.” 

No, Helen thought. She was now pretty sure what she wanted wasn’t what Zeus had in his head that she desired to wish. She could open her mouth to set him straight but, no, Helen was stand there and enjoy that foreboding expression on the god’s face as he put his foot in his mouth. 

“Yes, if you want it, it shall be yours. The gods have not bestowed this gift on a mortal hero in many centuries, but Helen Jackson - if you wish it - you shall be made a goddess. Immortal, undying. You shall be your father’s lieutenant for all time.” 

Helen’s eyebrows pressed against one and another because, uh huh. That was beyond what could have been her wish. But it wasn’t her wish. Either of them were in fact not her wish. 

Because Helen had made a promise to a dying man, because Helen had met too many victims of the gods. 

Heroes, Caeneus had told her years ago when Helen had been searching for another name - a Greek one - could do anything unlike the gods. They were only held back by their bravery and that was why the gods had so diligently punished what they saw as hubris. 

“No,” Helen said, speaking over Ares who was going on about beating her as many times as he desired (as if). Athena who had been opening her mouth to give her own two cents on the matter shut it at Helen’s denial of the offer of divinity and Helen didn’t need to turn around to know that her aunt’s smile had become fiercer in pride. The other Olympians, Helen noted as she took time to look at each one, had either looks of shock or frown on their faces at her answer; none of them seemed to know what to do with that answer. Expect there was one other Olympian that wasn’t surprised or disgruntled. It shouldn’t have been surprising that there was none of either emotion on Artemis. Of course it was her who wouldn’t be surprised or angry. After all the goddess had offered Annabeth and her a place in her hunt two years ago. It had only been Thalia who had taken up the offer though. 

“No? You’re turning down our generous gift?” Laughter, an ugly thing of it, sprouted itself in her stomach but Helen did not let it grow past her lips; she doesn’t believe it’s a gift to her as much as it was self serving to them. Still Helen smiled none the less (because they owe her, they owe their children, and Helen will make them pay). 

“One that would make you not only grant you immortality but to have ability to have any form you wish - to be who you wish to be?” Zeus continued, his words back handed. And Thalia, his own daughter, shot him a glare that of looks could brutally murder a god then Zeus would be so because of his words. 

If Helen was still standing next to Annabeth, her girlfriend’s grip would have tightened not to only hold her back but also because Annabeth would be pissed too. She didn’t need a wish to grant her what was already hers; she might be much alike to Caeneus but that didn’t mean Helen would make the same wish as he did. 

Helen's smile grew despite the words that had spewed from Zeus’s lips. What an ugly sight her smile and eyes must be. (People often said she should smile. They regretted when she did because there was nothing Helen had to smile for when it came to them.) 

“I do want that gift you promised though,” Helen’s voice was sweet but her eyes held none of the sweetness. Her smile was too sharp, too full of teeth, to be a warm thing that men wanted directed at them. “Do you promise to grant my wish on the River of Styx?” 

Her eyes flickered to Hades’ before they dropped to Nico who was standing at the feet of his father’s throne. 

It was a minute before Zeus begrudgingly responded. “...If it is within our power.” 

Somehow Helen’s smile managed to grow farther and some of they squirmed at the sight of it. 

Good. 

“It is,” Helen confirmed with a bright tone of voice and, with a bit of grumbling and a clap of thunder, Zeus, in the name of the Council of Olympus, swore to make her reasonable request come true. 

“From now on, I wish for you to properly recognize the children of the gods. All the children...of all the gods.” 

The squirming was back in the few who had done it earlier while others shifted uncomfortably in their thrones. 

Helen didn’t give them a chance to open for any of them to open their mouths, she plowed further. “This war would have happened if there were not demi-gods rightfully felt abandoned by their godly parents. So there will be no more undetermined. You said you would give me a gift for fighting your war. This is what I want. I want you all to promise to not only claim your children - all of your demi-god children - but for not to be left in the world at the mercy of monsters and gods alike. I want them claimed and brought to camp so they can be trained and have a chance to survive instead of being neglected which can get them killed.” 

“Wait just a moment-“ Apollo interrupted, his anger ringing loud in the destroyed throne room, but Helen continued despite his request. 

“The other gods - Nemesis, Hecate, Morpheus, Hebe, Hestia, Janus - the ones who don’t have a throne in this room, they all deserve to be treated with a general respect and a cabin at Camp Half-Blood.” 

It was of course Zeus who tried to shoot it down. His nostrils were flaring as he spoke, “My sister chose chastity. She has and never will have children.” 

Helen didn’t point out that so did Artemis and yet the goddess of the hunt had a cabin at camp. 

No, instead with a smile she pointed out something else that was a flaw in Zeus’ rebuttal. “And so did you, Hades, and my father when it came to sleeping with mortals after the Second World War. Yet, you, Hades and my father have cabins in Camp Half-Blood. That’s another thing - Hades. He deserves a cabin as well just like Nico deserves to have a home at Camp Half-Blood.” 

“Helen,” Poseidon said, a warning was in his tone of voice. “You presume and ask much.” 

Hubris, she had been warned years ago when trying to find the name she used today, was what the gods punished mortals and demi-gods for most often. It was because demi-gods were only held back by their bravery unlike the gods who, despite all their power, were held back by red tape. 

Helen shook her head, her ponytail moving too at the gesture of her denial. If she was punished then so be it. If the gods wanted demi-gods to fight their wars - which Helen and her friends had - and to go on quests for them then they would have to least treat them with some decency. 

(Promise me, Luke had croaked out in this very throne room only so little ago, no more unclaimed.) 

“That is my wish and it is something in your power.”

**Author's Note:**

> I am not transgender. I do not personally (because there’s knowing someone and than there’s personally knowing them) know anyone who is. I wrote this (and may one day write more in this verse) because I was wondering what it would be like if Percy was transgender and how that would effect the story and canon relationships. 
> 
> For anyone who reads ISTLWISMM, Caeneus will be showing up there as well. Actually, Caeneus was easter egged last chapter but he hasn’t truly been introduced into the story. When he is I will go into another one of my Greek mythology lectures at the end of the chapter.


End file.
